Yes, I said dog

Yes, we've acquired a dog, and he's actually really cool. His name is Charlie, a lab-hound mix whom we got from the Lexington Humane Society. It wasn't really an impulse decision; we've been considering getting a dog for some time. Billy grew up with dogs and really loved it; he's been wanting Miranda to have the same experience. So a few weeks ago, when Billy and I were out for a Miranda-free weekend, we wandered into PetSmart to look at the fish, and found Charlie at the LHS branch shelter there in the store, and fell in love. He's a great dog -- at 66 lbs, he's a bit bigger than we'd expected to get, but he's (largely) housebroken, and as a 4 yr old, he's much calmer than most puppies. Miranda really likes him, and we're getting used to the added responsibilities and trouble. (Our hardwood floors are beginning to take a beating, and the night he barked at 2, 4, and 6am, I thought "This is just like having a newborn again!!") But overall, he's a great addition to the family.

Here are our only pictures of him to date. Despite the menacing nature of the footage, he & Miranda do really well together!